Suicide prevention conference Friday in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — The latest research on stopping youth suicide will be presented at the 2014 Statewide Suicide Prevention Conference on Friday in Springfield.

The conference is sponsored by the Illinois Public Health Association among others, and will be held at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Officials say suicide is the third-leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 24. Nearly 5,000 young people take their lives yearly. But more people survive suicide attempts than die and are treated for self-inflicted injuries in emergency units.

The conference’s theme is “Preventing Suicide Among Youth and Young Adults: Everyone Has a Role.”

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and May 22 is Suicide Prevention Day.